


Of Magic Shows and Miracles

by bimpson



Category: Pippin - Schwartz/Hirson
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Death, Emotional Manipulation, Fantasy, Fire, Gen, Hallucinations, Manipulation, Medieval, Prophetic Visions, Royalty, Sacrifice, Self-Immolation, Self-Sacrifice, Suicide, Theatre, Visions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:27:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27671999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bimpson/pseuds/bimpson
Summary: Pippin, unsure of his fate, sees a vision of what will happen after he's gone.
Relationships: Pippin & The Leading Player
Kudos: 2





	Of Magic Shows and Miracles

**Author's Note:**

> trigger warnings put at the end! please jump to the ending notes to read

“Think about the sun, Pippin.”

The flame was right in front of him, a bright, fantastical flame. He had to give the Leading Player credit; it looked like this was the finale Pippin always lusted after.

But he felt… apprehensive.

The Leading Player noticed this, as they always do. They smiled and approached the young man- a little too close for Pippin’s comfort. “Go ahead, Pippin. Gaze into the flame!”

And so he did.

The fire hypnotized the former prince. The flames transfixed Pippin, and he couldn’t bring himself to look away. It was intriguing, beautiful, and he was sure he could see someone inside the orange flurry.

Wait- someone’s already inside the flames?

Pippin snapped out of it once this realization hit. How could someone be inside the fire? Was this another one of the Leading Player’s tricks? “Hey, what’s this all about-”

“Cool it, baby!” The Leading Player replied, “Look again, and look closer this time. I think you’re gonna see something you like.” The omniscient being gestured to the flame, which seemed to burn even brighter than before. Not wanting to upset his only friend by disobeying their orders, Pippin did what he was told. As he looked deeper into the flame, a vision engulfed him.

The person inside the flame was Pippin’s father, Charlemagne, a man he hadn’t seen in months. He felt strange watching his father. The man looked upset, an emotion Pippin had never seen on the man. His father was always angry or joyful, never sorrowful. He wondered what could have happened. Had Fastrada left him? Or was there another uprising?

Soon, the enormous figure spoke. “I come to you all with devastating news,” he started. Pippin realized he was standing in front of a massive crowd, a crowd only seen at the announcement of the beginning or end of a war. Had the Visigoths won the war against the Romans? Despite being estranged from his father for many months, Pippin felt sorry for him. However, he would soon realize that this was not the case.

“My son, prince Pippin, has been found dead- burned alive in an abandoned theater. We have not found the perpetrators of this act.” Charlemagne was trying his best not to cry, and Pippin was taken aback. He was dead already? Or was this a vision of the future?

And his father cared enough to cry?

The crowd erupted in sound over the news. The same crowd that criticized him during his brief stint on the throne was now crying hysterically over the news of his passing. Pippin felt something strange inside of him, something… good? The sight of thousands of people destroyed by his death gave him a strange sense of pride.

Behind Charlemagne, Fastrada and Lewis stood tall; they did not seem very affected by this news at all. That figures, Pippin thought. Fastrada wanted Pippin out of the way so Lewis could be next in line for the throne; he was sure they were holding back smiles. Unfortunately for them, that wouldn’t be the case for much longer.

“However, we have a reasonable suspicion as to who may be behind this act,” the king continued. He turned and pointed back at the pair, who were surprised at the accusation. “My wife and her son have been plotting against my son since the day I married her. Without any doubt, I believe they have something to do with this!” 

The crowd soon took to this idea. The cries for Pippin soon turned into insults and threats toward the two. Fastrada and Lewis were terrified at the crowd’s reaction. Pippin saw their mouths move, trying to defend their innocence, but their words went unheard under the roar of the crowd. Three of Charlemagne’s guards apprehended the two, ensuring there was no room for escape.

“Losing three members of the royal family today must come as a shock to all of you,” Charlemagne began as he turned back to the crowd. “Of course, I cannot run the palace all by myself, so I am pleased to revoke the exile of Berthe the Younger, also known as my mother. Fastrada exiled her out of envy and greed, so I am pleased to make amends and return her to her rightful position.” Again, the tone of the crowd changed. They cheered for the return of Berthe, who had been a favorite of the kingdom before her banishment.

“That is not all. I have also appointed a new royal advisor, a position formally occupied by my _ex_ -wife. The position will go to Catherine the Wise, who was a dear friend of my late son.”

Pippin felt good. Through his death, he solved everything. His grandmother was no longer exiled, his stepfamily was on their way out, and Catherine even got a much better job! Dying was the best thing Pippin had done.

But he’s not dead yet.

The crowd was chanting Pippin’s name as the surrounding vision faded. His consciousness snapped back to the grand stage he was standing on. “Don’t you love it, kid?” The Leading Player exclaimed, “thousands of people cheering in your honor, your family and friends living the lives they deserve. Isn’t that wonderful?”

“It is wonderful,” Pippin admitted, “and all I have to do is die? Was that the future?”

“Of course it’s the future! All of that and more will happen after you step into that flame.” The Leading Player put their arm around the young prince. “They will all know you only in glory and honor after you commit this one significant act!”

“But won’t they find out Fastrada and Lewis had nothing to do with-”

“Hell no! Emotions run high in situations like this, logic just goes out the door. No one will ever question a thing!”

Pippin did not feel the need to reject his fate. If he stayed alive, Berthe would die in exile, Fastrada and Lewis would take over the throne, and Catherine and her son would live a meaningless life on their farm for the rest of their lives. He knew what he had to do.

Pippin took one last look at the surrounding troupe before stepping forward. The surrounding figures started cheering him on as he took his first step. As he got closer to the flaming platform, the more sure he felt in his decision. Soon, he stepped onto the platform itself and let the flames engulf him, the cheers of the crowd reaching its peak. Within minutes, Pippin collapsed, suffocated from the smoke that replaced the oxygen within the fire. Pippin was dead.

The Leading Player clapped, finding the entire scene quite amusing. The troupe followed suit, clapping and cheering at Pippin’s smoldering body. A new, masculine troupe member approached the Player. “Do you really think all that will happen now that he’s dead?”

This prompted the entire troupe, along with the Leading Player, to erupt into laughter. “Of course not!” The Player responded, “Ain’t nobody gonna care that he’s dead. I can’t even _believe_ he fell for that! Look, kid, I know you’re new here, but sometimes it’s easier to sell a lie than the truth.” They gave the new member a pat on the head. “Now come on, everybody! The next cycle will start soon. Let’s make the next one even better!”

A bright light soon appeared within the theatre. In total euphoria, the troupe joined hands and walked into the light. The rebirth was about to begin.

**Author's Note:**

> tw: suicide, self-immolation, fire, manipulation. the death scene is very brief but i still wanted to give a warning!


End file.
